To Hell
by Awesomerigby
Summary: When Kikyo successfully drags Inuyasha to Hell, Kagome and the others must dive into the wretched place to bring him back. InuKag, MirSan, might be slight InuKik.


To Hell

The mechanical pencil tapped the side of Kagome's cheek as she let out a sigh. Inuyasha was angry at her for leaving so suddenly, but she had no choice, did she? She was already behind on her schoolwork enough as it was, and that this rate, she would be lucky if she was able to take her high school entrance exams.

She scanned over her paper, groaned when she realized she had made a mistake on her math homework, and erased it with so much forced the paper began to rip.

"Oh, no!" she cried. "Ugh, this is so frustrating!"

"Kagome?" her mother asked, opening the door to her daughter's bedroom. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," she said solemnly. "Just…"

"I know." Mrs. Higurashi put a plate of sliced apples on her desk. "Thought you might like a snack."

"Oh, great, thanks, Mom." Kagome picked up a slice and bit into it. She chewed slowly while keeping her eyes on her paper, more so, she was staring at the rip she had caused by her frantic erasing. "You know, sometimes it feels like I'll never pass middle school." She felt a hand press comfortingly into her shoulder.

"Don't say that, Kagome," her mother told her. "I am so proud of you, you know that? Anyone in your position would most likely disregard their schoolwork, but look at you. You still dedicate some time to getting stuff done, despite the dangers of the Feudal Era."

Kagome smiled; her mother always knew how to make her feel better. "Yeah. Well, I'll get back to work on this. I'm nearly done with this assignment, so once it's finished, I'm heading back."

"Alright." She kissed the top of her daughter's head and left the room, closing the door on her way out.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at the closed door. It was more than just her schoolwork that bothered her, she realized. Her mother, her grandfather, and her little brother, they must all worry about her everyday.

She bit her lip and began her work again. That was what kept her going, her family, as well as Inuyasha and the others. She fought with all her might against demons and Naraku, not only to end his evil reign, but to keep herself alive. She could never put her family through that.

As she worked, Kagome bit into her apple slices, grateful for her mother's generosity. Once the assignment was finished—with correct answers, she hoped—Kagome packed her large yellow backpack with her books and clothes. She slung it over her shoulder, wincing as it pressed discomfortingly onto her skin, and tried to get down the stairs as fast as she could.

Her family was sitting the living room. Sota was lying on the floor, playing a video game that made a lot of beeping and screaming noises. Kagome looked at the screen, and it was rather violent for her taste. She had seen enough carnage in one lifetime. Her mother had a magazine in her hands that looked like it was about home improvement or something like that. And her grandfather was reading the newspaper while scratching Buyo behind the ear.

"Hey, guys!" Kagome said, gaining their attention when she fully stepped into the living room. She took off her backpack to give her shoulder a rest, and it plopped on the ground with a loud thud.

"Kagome, you're leaving?" Sota asked. He paused his game and looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah. I promised Inuyasha I wouldn't be gone too long." She frowned when she saw her mother's face fall. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." Kagome went into the kitchen to fill her backpack up with snacks and whatnot before rejoining the others. "Well, I guess I'm off."

They followed Kagome outside and into the Higurashi Shrine where the Bone Eater's Well waited for Kagome to dive into to take her to the Feudal Era.

She hugged her family, and especially took a long time removing herself from her mother. She breathed in her mother's scent, and the urge to cry was beginning to overwhelm her. When she pulled back, she had regained her composure, and gave them all a big smile.

"Take care, Kagome!" her mother called as Kagome put her legs into the Well and jumped into it.

"Go get em, sis!" Sota shouted.

"Be careful, Kagome!" her grandfather added.

"Don't worry, I will!" She would always be careful, for Inuyasha, for Sango, for Miroku, for Shippo, and for her family, of course.

Inuyasha wasn't there to help Kagome out of the Well when she returned. Instead, Sango was the one who was sitting at its edge.

When she heard a faint sound, she looked inside the Well to see that her friend had returned. Sango put her hand out and took Kagome's yellow backpack from her. She stumbled under its weight, and put it down on the ground quickly before she fell.

"Kagome," she said, pulling her friend out of the Well. "All is well in your time, I trust?"

"Thanks, Sango, and yeah, everything's fine."

"Is it me or is your bag heavier than usual?"

Kagome blushed. "I brought extra books because I really need to get that work done. Oh, Inuyasha's going to celebrate when he realizes that I have to do all this," she laughed. "Where is Inuyasha anyway?"

"I'm not sure. He ran off a little while ago. It was getting stuffy in Kaede's house, so it's no wonder he wanted some fresh air. Shippo and Kirara also left for the same reason."

If Sango hadn't told her that Shippo and Kirara left Kaede's house for some fresh air as well, she would have suspected that Inuyasha went out for an entirely different reason. Though there were no Shinidamachū in sight, her thoughts immediately went to Kikyo. When Kikyo was around, there was no way Inuyasha could stay away from her.

Kagome picked up her bag and followed Sango to the village. She glanced up at the sky, expecting to see Shinidamachū, but there were none. Perhaps Inuyasha was just going to get some fresh air, just as Sango said.

"Lady Kagome," Miroku said upon seeing her. "I am glad to see you. You are well?"

"Yeah, why?" Could he sense that she was troubled?

"I'm just asking."

"Right." _Why am I so paranoid? He was just asking me how I was, that didn't mean anything…_

"Kagome!" A young voice cried out. Shippo ran up to her, with Kirara behind him. They both jumped onto her shoulder. Kirara mewled happily. "I'm so glad you're back! Inuyasha's been mean to me, and I've been waiting for you to sit him!"

Kagome laughed. "Once he comes back, I'll be sure to give him the message. Is he coming back soon, you think?"

"Probably. He left before Kirara and I did."

"Hmm…"

"Kagome, is something wrong?" Shippo asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. I brought snacks for you all, so let's go inside and enjoy them." They went inside Kaede's hut, where the old priestess was putting herbs into a small bowl. "Hello, Kaede."

"Ah, Kagome, hello."

"Any progress, Lady Kaede?" Miroku asked.

"The herbs should be ready for boiling in a few moments. Once that is finished, I will go to the village and visit young Hiyori."

Kagome blinked. Hiyori was a rather spunky young girl, very loud and very hyper. She never once heard of her getting sick, at least not to her knowledge. "What happened to Hiyori, Kaede?"

Kaede put her bowl of herbs aside and looked at Kagome, her good eye shining with sadness. "I am not sure. Her mother told me that only a few days before she was out in the woods. When she came back, Hiyori collapsed. She has been running a fever for the past day."

Kagome wondered what Hiyori could have encountered in the woods to bring such a terrible fever. She hoped it wasn't anything serious from a demon. Kaede would be able to fix this, she always did.

Shippo was digging into Kagome's bag, stopping only when he found his favorite cherry lollipops. He ripped one open and stuck into his mouth. "Thank you, Kagome!"

"You're welcome," she said. She looked at the flap separating the inside from the outside. "I'm going to look for Inuyasha." They hadn't parted on good terms, so she thought it would be better if she found him and apologized, even if she thought he was being completely irrational about the whole thing.

"Be careful, Kagome," Sango warned. "Whatever hurt Hiyori may still be out there."

Kagome nodded. "I will." She showed them that she had her bow and arrow, should anything suspicious arise. She opened the flap of the hut, and went outside.

 _Wonder where that guy could be?_ _Probably brooding like every time I leave._ She smiled at that. At least she knew he was upset when she was gone.

She stepped slowly through the village. She figured Inuyasha wouldn't be in the village if none of others knew where he was. He'd probably be in the woods.

Kagome picked up her pace, and went into the woods. As soon as she stepped through the trees, she felt a strange presence surrounding her. She was about to pull an arrow out of her quiver when the presence wrapped around her body. It wasn't like a snake, trying to crush her. On the contrary, whatever it was very gentle, just happening to brush against her as it moved. She doubted it was whatever had hurt Hiyori.

Kagome looked down, and the thing had taken a shape. A gasp escaped her mouth as she saw a Shinidamachū, flying around her slowly. Part of her wondered if she had imagined it. After all, she was paranoid enough about Inuyasha's motives, that it was very possible that she would imagine it. However, there was no mistaking it; the Shinidamachū felt very real, and she had seen enough of these to know what they were.

The question was why was it so close to her? As soon as she wondered this, it removed itself from her and flew off slowly. Too slowly, she realized, as if it wanted her to follow. She didn't want to, but her legs moved of their own accord.

Inuyasha was with Kikyo, she knew it. She wanted to stop walking, to run away, but she just couldn't. Kikyo was luring her to where they were; she wanted Kagome to see the hold she continued to have on Inuyasha, to show her that Inuyasha would forever be hers.

 _I don't want to see it_ , Kagome thought desperately. _I don't want him to leave me._ That was just wanted Kikyo wanted to show her. _Please, don't_. She couldn't speak, and the Shinidamachū continued to lead the way through the trees.

When it seemed like years had passed, the soul collector stopped and just hovered in the air. It had lead Kagome to the Sacred Tree where she could clearly see Inuyasha and Kikyo.

 _No, let me leave. I can't…_ She couldn't watch Inuyasha leave her at the place where they first met, where he and Kikyo parted. _Don't part with me here, Inuyasha. You can't._

"Inuyasha," Kikyo said softly, her hands ghosting over his cheeks. "You know you cannot truly forget me, and I cannot truly forget you."

"I know," he responded.

"And no matter how badly I wish to destroy Naraku, I do not have a place here." She gripped at his Robe of the Firerat. "I am dead, Inuyasha, and I cannot be among the living."

"Naraku deceived us… We have to kill him…"

" _We_ don't have to do anything," she corrected. "The monk, the demon slayer, your older brother, they all wish his death. Destroying him won't bring us together, Inuyasha, but this will." Her lips parted slightly.

Kagome had seen this once before. Kikyo was going to try and drag Inuyasha to hell! She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The Shinidamachū that lead her here was flowing close by, and it seemed as if it cut off her voice. It made no matter. If she couldn't speak, she could do something else to get Inuyasha's attention.

She was going to run in his direction. Once he saw her, he would free himself from Kikyo. But, when she tried to lift her legs—the legs that brought her here on their own accord—Kikyo raised a hand. She didn't look at Kagome as she extended her index finger; Kagome felt a powerful shiver run through her, and her legs felt as if they had turned to lead.

 _Damn you, Kikyo!_

Kikyo allowed herself a glance at Kagome, and her gaze said it all: " _You have no place here. You have no place with him. I will take him with me, and we will be together_."

Kikyo turned her attention back to Inuyasha, who didn't even notice that she was looking elsewhere. "My half-demon," she said. "Stay with me." She moved closer to him and pressed her lips to his. Kagome felt her heart pang painfully. Kikyo sighed and her head fell against Inuyasha's chest. "Inuyasha…"

"Kikyo…" His arms went around her frame, and he pulled her close.

It seemed Kikyo was letting her guard down in her vulnerable state. Kagome felt her throat and legs loosen. She ran out of the woods before the Shinidamachū could stop her.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed. "Inuyasha, don't do it!"

Kagome's voice seemed to connect to him. He stiffened and began to pull away from Kikyo.

"Kagome?" he asked. He turned his head, but Kikyo clutched even harder at his chest. He turned back to the priestess, as if Kagome was never there in the first place.

"Come with me to hell, my love," she said darkly. "There is nothing for you here." A light engulfed the two of them, and the ground began to shake.

"No, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. Her voice didn't reach him; he didn't even react.

A hole formed underneath their feet, and it was just like that one time. Inuyasha and Kikyo, their arms around each other, were sinking into the ground. That last time Kagome was able to get his attention by her voice, but now, Kikyo's hold on him was so tight that nothing would break his focus.

"Inuyasha!"

"It's over, girl!" Kikyo snapped. "We will be together!"

"Kagome!" Sango ran to her friend's side. Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede were right behind her.

"Sister Kikyo," Kaede said.

"Kaede, allow me this. After my life of suffering, I deserve this!"

"Kagome, what is going on?" Sango asked frantically.

"Kikyo… she's…" Kagome tried to tell Sango, but her voice failed her. She couldn't tear her eyes from the scene. "Inuyasha!" she cried, running to him at full speed. She opened her arms, ready to hold him tight until this all passed.

It was a futile attempt however. Kikyo had formed a barrier around them, and Kagome was unable to get close. The barrier sizzled and knocked Kagome off her feet. She would have fallen if Miroku had not caught her.

"Inuyasha!" he yelled. "You mustn't give in!"

"He can no longer hear you," Kikyo told him coolly. She continued to drag Inuyasha, until they were finally out of sight.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome cried. She ran to the hole in the ground where Inuyasha and Kikyo had sunk into and pounded on it with her fists. "Inuyasha, Inuyasha!" She tried digging until she had become so tired, she collapsed. "Inuyasha…"

"Kagome." Sango kneeled beside her friend and put a hand on her back.

 **Author's Note:** Do not take this as a bashing Kikyo fic. Things will become clear by the end of the fic.


End file.
